East German flatwater canoeist Hans-Jörg Bliesener won the bronze medal with the K-4 1,000 team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. At the ICF Flatwater Canoe World Championships, he won two silver medals (1985 K-2 500 with Guido Behling and 1986 K-4 1,000). Domestically, he won the K-2 500 in 1986-87, the K-4 500 in 1985-86, and the K-4 1,000 title in 1984, 1986, and 1988.
After completing his studies in economics, Bliesener started a business career at the Karstadt department store group, where he managed various branches, in Gütersloh, Dresden and Bochum, amongst others.